Typographical composing and casting machine



y 3, 1938. T. J. THATCHER 2,116,051

TYPOGRAPHICAL GOMPOSING AND CASTING MACHINE Filed May 6, 1936 1v VENTORBY M I M {W A T RNEYJ,

Patented May 3, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSINGAND CAST- ING MACHINE tion of New York Application May 6, 1936, SerialNo. 78.149

18 Claims.

This invention relates to slug casting machines of the generalorganization represented in U. S.

Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler No. 436,532,

wherein circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the orderin which their characters are to appear in print and then composed inline, the composed line transferred to a vertically movable transporteror first elevator which presents it to the mold, the mold filled withmolten metal to form a slug or type-bar against the matrices whichproduce the type characters thereon and the matrices thereafter elevatedand returned through a distributing mechanism to the magazine from whichthey started. At the time the matrices are being elevated anddistributed, the cast slug is ejected from the mold and forced between apair of trimming knives mounted on the vise frame and which dress downthe sides of the slug and bring it to the proper thickness.

In these machines, it is the practise to remove the shavings from theknives after a slug has been trimmed and before the next slug isdelivered therethrough, and this is ordinarily accomplished by the useof a knife wiping mechanism which is controlled or actuated by themovement of the first elevator, either in its descent or in its ascent,or some other periodically moving part of the machine. The wiper per seusually comprises a thin, narrow blade which extends across the cuttingedges of the knives in engagement therewith and which has an activedownward stroke lengthwise of the knives. Ordinarily the left-hand knifeis stationary and the right-hand knife adjustable to set the knives fortrimming slugs of different body thicknesses, and the wiping blade ismade long enough to engage the cutting edges of both knives in anyadjusted condition thereof.

.19 The present invention contemplates an improved form of wiping meanswhereby the shavings may be removed effectively without actualengagement of the wiping means with the cutting edges of the knives. Tothis end, two interchangeable wipers, one for each knife, are mountedindependently of the knives for movement lengthwise of their respectivecutting edges, the wiper associated with the adjustable knife beingmovable relatively to its mounting for adjustment automatically with theright-hand knife.

In the accompanying drawing, the invention has been shown merely by wayof example and in preferred form and obviously many variations andmodifications may be made therein which will still be comprised withinits spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is notlimited to any specific form or embodiment ex cept insofar as suchlimitations are specified in the appended claims. 5

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a side elevation of the vise frame carrying the elevator andslug trimming knives, and showing the knife wiping mechanism associatedtherewith at the beginning of the wiping stroke;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the knives and wipers, the bottomportions of the knives being lost in phantom;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the knives and wipers, showing by the fulllines the knives in one set position for a slug of given body thicknessand by the dotted lines the right-hand knife adjusted for a slug ofgreater body thickness; and

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the wiper assembly in disassembledcondition to show the manner of mounting the wipers on the actuatingmechanism.

The casting mechanism, which is of conventional form, is not shown inthe accompanying drawing, but after composition the line of mat- 25rices M is delivered to the first elevator A as shown in Fig. 1 and thenlowered thereby to a position in front of the mold which is carried by arotatable mold disc. Immediately thereafter, the mold disc advances tobring the mold into contact with the matrix line for the casting of theslug, and after the slug is cast the mold disc is retracted and rotatedto carry the mold from its horizontal casting position to a verticalposition immediately in front of an ejector (not shown) which operatesto expel the slug from the mold and force it between a pair of trimmingknives B and B whence the slug is delivered to a receiving galley (notshown) at the front of the machine. During the slug ejecting operation,the first elevator A ascends to its highest level to deliver thecomposed line to the distributing devices and thereafter descends to itsnormal poof rest (shown in Fig. 1) in readiness to: receive anothercomposed line.

The mechanism shown in the drawing for actuating the knife wipers is thesame as that shown in the pending U. S. application Serial No. 41,351,filed September 20, 1935 by Edgar H. Atkins, and for a more completedescription thereof reference v50 may be had to that application.Briefly, the actuating mechanism comprises a vertically disposed rod Darranged at the back of the vise, frame E and guided in its verticalmovement by a bracket 01 attached to the vise frame. The rod ,55

D is pivotally mounted as at d in the hub portion d of a link member dwhich connects the rod D to a similar rod :1 at the front of the viseframe, the connecting member 01 being rigidly and adjustably secured tothe rod (1 by the nuts 11 and d A coiled spring s wound about the hub (1and bearing against the rod D tends constantly to hold the rod in properrelation to the trimming knives B and B as determined by a guide shoe (1(Figs. 2 and 3) fixed to the upper end of the rod D and bearing againstthe fiat vertical surface b of the knife B. The rod D is held in itsnormal or resting position by a compression spring (1 surrounding therod d and arranged between two fixed brackets F and F on the stationaryvise frame E, the upper or free end of the spring bearing against anadjusting nut (1 separated from the bracket F by a collar d. A dowel pinG, projecting from the elevator A and adapted, through one arm h of alever H pivoted as at h to the elevator head A to strike the top of therod d as the elevator A descends, forces the rods D and d and connectinglink d as a unit, downwardly against the pressure of the compressionspring d which later raises the rods back to their upper normalpositions as the elevator ascends. The lever H serves to multiply thedownward movement of the elevator A and maintain a normal stroke for thewiper actuating mechanism when the elevator is arrested at slightlyhigher levels in presenting a line of matrices bearing large charactersto the mold, adjustable blocks (not shown) being arranged on top of thefixed frame E in the path of the arm h of the lever H and causing thelatter to be rocked about its pivot 71 all as more fully set forth inthe Atkins application referred to previously.

Coming now to the wipers and referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4,each wiper P, P is slidably mounted on a horizontal arm (I of an anglebracket (1 whose vertical arm (1 is fixed to the upper end of the rod Das by locating pins thereon adapted to fit in openings 01 in the arm dand a screw, rivet or headed-over pin passing through the opening 11 insaid arm. The bracket 11 is formed to be fitted on the rod D in the samemanner as the usual wiping blade previously referred to, and thedimensions of the arm d are substantially the same as those of the saidblade so that the wipers P and P are adaptable for mounting on theblades of existing wiping mechanisms, the only modification of theexisting mechanisms required being the extension of the guide shoescorresponding to the shoes d as by hammering them out or tipping themwith solder or the like.

The Wipers are preferably (although not necessarily) of identical formand are mounted face to face on the arm c1 each wiper comprising anarrow strip of material, preferably thin sheet metal, bent to presentfour sides P P P and P of substantially equal length. The side P whichterminates in a free end P, is bent inwardly so that it extends at anangle toward the side P but short of engagement therewith. Near thejuncture of the sides P and P with the side P the former are perforatedto provide openings P" and P to receive the arm (1 of the supportingbracket 01 on which they are adapted to be freely slidable.

When located in operative position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, thewipers P and P are associated, respectively, with the knives B and B sothat the fiat inside face of the side P of each engages the inside faceB of its respective knife;

while the outer inclined face B of each knife,

'which converges toward the inner face B to define the cutting edgethereof, is engaged by the outer face of the bent-in side P of therespective wiper. As. thus arranged, in their lengthwise travel alongthe knives, the wipers P and P remove all metal chips and shavings whichadhere to the cutting edges and faces B and B of the knives, foralthough they do not engage directly with the cutting edges of theknives, their relationship thereto is such that even the smallest chipswill be loosened and removed. Because of its sliding attachment to thearm (Z of the bracket (1 and its engagement with the inner and outerfaces B and B of the adjustable righthand knife E the wiper P will movewith the knife B to any adjusted position thereof.

The wiper P, which cooperates with the stationary left-hand knife B,could be fixed to the bracket arm (1 but obviously it is more desirableto have it freely mounted thereon as shown, since not only is itrendered removable from the bracket arm but the wipers can be madeidentical and interchangeable.

The invention has been shown and described as comprising, in itspreferred form, a wiper which is a unitary structure, two such wipersindividual to the knives being employed and arranged on a commonmounting. However, it is obvious that similar results can be obtained bywipers engaging the converging faces of the knives but beingindependently mounted and operated by a common actuating mechanism, thewiper cooperating with the adjustable knife being movable relatively toits mounting or being carried by a movable or yielding mounting; and thewiping faces for each knife can be independent, that is, formed inseparate sections. It is to be understood therefore that suchmodifications and variations fall within the contemplated scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. A knife wiper for the slug trimming knife of a slug casting machine,said wiper being formed to engage the inner face of the knife.

2. A knife wiper for the slug trimming knife of a slug casting machine,said Wiper being formed to engage the inner and outer faces but not thecutting edge of the knife.

3. A knife Wiper for the slug trimming knife l. A knife wiper for theslug trimming knife of a slug casting machine, said wiper being formedwith arms disposed in angular relation to one another to engage eachwith one of the converging faces of the knife, one of said arms beingadap ed to engage the inner face of the knife and the other to engagethe outer face of the knife but terminating short of the cutting edgethereof.

5. A knife wiper for the slug trimming knife of a slug casting machine,said wiper being formed with angularly disposed wiping surfaces adaptedto engage the inner and outer faces but not the cutting edge of theknife.

6. A knife wiper for the slug trimming knife of a slug casting machine,said wiper being formed of a narrow strip of sheet metal bent to shapeand presenting angularly disposed surfaces adapted to engage the innerand outer faces of the knife and being separated to avoid engagementwith the cutting edge thereof.

7. In or for a slug casting machine equipped til) with a pair oftrimming knives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, aknife wiping means whose active stroke is lengthwise of the cuttingedges of the knives arranged to engage with inner and outer faces ofeach knife but not with the cutting edge thereof.

8. In or for a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, a kn fewiping mechanism comprising a narrow blade extending transversely of thecutting edges of the knives and whose active stroke is lengthwisethereof, and a pair of wipers, one for each knife, adapted to engageboth of the converging faces of their respective knives but not thecutting edges thereof and being mounted on said transversely extendingblade.

9. In or for a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, a knifewiping mechanism comprising a narrow blade extending transversely of thecutting edges of the knives and whose active stroke is lengthwisethereof, and a pair of wipers, one for each knife, adapted to engageboth of the converging faces of their respective knives but not thecutting edges thereof and being slidably mounted on said transverselyextending blade.

10. In or for a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, a knifewiping mechanism comprising a narrow blade extending transversely of thecutting edges of the knives and whose active stroke is lengthwisethereof, and a pair of wipers, one for each knife, formed to engage bothof the converging faces of their respective knives but not the cuttingedges thereof and being independently and slidably mounted on saidtransversely extending blade.

11. In or for a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, a knifewiping mechanism comprising a narrow blade extending transversely of thecutting edges of the knives and whose active stroke is lengthwisethereof, and a pair of wipers, one for each knife, formed to engage bothof the converging faces of their respective knives. but not the cuttingedges thereof and being independently and slidably mounted on saidtransversely extending blade, said wipers being interchangeable inposition on the blade.

12. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, thecombination of a pair of wipers individual to the knives and formed toengage both of the converging faces of their respective knives. saidwipers being mounted independently of their respective knives formovement lengthwise of the cutting edges there- 'of, and means foroperating said wipers.

13. In a slug casting machined equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, thecombination of a pair of wipers individual to the knives and formed toengage both of the converging faces of their respective knives, saidwipers being mounted independently of their respective knives formovement lengthwise of the cutting edges thereof, and common means foroperating said wipers.

. 14. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces, thecombination of a pair of wipers individual to the knives and formed toengage both of the converging faces of their respective knives, saidwipers being arranged on a common mounting independently of theirrespective knives for movement lengthwise of the cutting edge thereof,and means for operating said wipers.

15. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces and at leastone of which is adjustable toward and away from the other for trimmingslugs of different body thickness, the combination of a pair of wipersindividual to the knives and formed to engage both of the convergingfaces of their respective knives, said wipers being mountedindependently thereof for movement lengthwise of the cutting edges oftheir respective knives in any adjusted relation thereof, and means foroperating said wipers.

16. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives Whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces and at leastone of which is adjustable toward and away from the other for trimmingslugs of different body thickness, the combination of a pair of wipersindividual to the knives and formed to engage both of the convergingfaces of their respective knives, said wipers being mountedindependently of their respective knives for movement lengthwise of thecutting edges thereof, and means for operating said wipers, the wiperassociated with the adjustable knife being mounted for adjustmenttherewith.

17. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces and at leastone of which is adjustable toward and away from the other to differentset positions for trimming slugs of different body thickness, thecombination of a pair of wipers individual to the knives and formed toengage both of the converging faces of their respective knives, saidwipers being mounted independently of their respective knives formovement lengthwise of the cutting edges thereof, and means foroperating said wipers, the wiper associated with the adjustable knifebeing movable relatively to its companion wiping member and carried bythe adjustable knife to any set position thereof.

18. In a slug casting machine equipped with a pair of slug trimmingknives whose cutting edges are formed by converging faces and at leastone of which is adjustable toward and away from the other to differentset positions for trimming slugs of different body thickness, thecombination of a pair of wipers individual to the knives and formed toengage both of the converging faces of their respective knives, saidwipers being mounted independently of their respective knives formovement lengthwise of the cutting edges there-'

